How garbage was removed from Bucharest in 1900

A museum’s fame is dictated by the value of the collections it holds, by the existence of unique exhibits, the monumental buildings housing the goods, their location in a tourist area, and sometimes the reporting of scientific curiosities. The National Technical Museum “Prof. Engineer Dimitrie Leonida” possesses all the skills mentioned above, less the monumental building, yet it does have some features that deserve to be seen. Here’s the short story of a unique artifact: In 1895, the City Hall purchased a “Gardner Serpolet” steam truck for pulling carts with garbage from the city landfill to one on the city’s outskirts. The truck, however, made an infernal noise when passing through the streets of Bucharest, scaring children, animals and geese for miles around. Outraged, people filed hundreds of complaints to the administration to eliminate the vehicle. Finally, the City Hall retired it. Currently, the truck is on display in the Vehicles section of the Automotive Department at The National Technical Museum in Bucharest.